A New Menshevik Conference

Published:Proletary, No. 20, October 10 (September 27), 1905.

      Published according to the text inProletary.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1972,

      Moscow,Volume 9,

      pages330-331.Translated:The Late Abraham Fineberg and Julius KatzerTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Weare in receipt of hectographed copies of the resolutions passed by the
“Southern Constituent [!?] Conference” of the
Mensheviks.[1]The most important of these resolutions (on
the State Duma) will be dealt with by us on some other occasion. For the present
we shall only note that of the two main points ofIskra’s“Duma” tactics the Conference rejected “pressure for the
election of resolute people to the State Duma” (like Martov, Cherevanin,
and Parvus), but accepted “organisation of nation-wide popular elections
to a constituent assembly”. Three resolutions were adopted on the
composition ofIskra’sEditorial Board, yet the question was not
settled. One resolution asks Axelrod not to leave the Editorial Board; another
requests Plekhanov to return to the Board (the Conference—probably without
humorous intention—expressing “surprise” at Plekhanov’s
resignation); the third thanksIskra, expresses complete confidence in
it, etc., but refers the question of the composition of the Editorial Board to
an “all-Russia constituent conference for final decision”. The
“First All-Russia Conference”, as is known, “referred”
this question for decision to the local organisations. The latter
“refer” it to the decision of aconstituentconference.... This is probably what is called doing away with red tape and
formalities.... In the meantimeIskracontinues calling itself the
Central Organ, although even its own supporters have not conferred such a title
on it. A convenient position this, indeed!

Theorganisational Rules of the Southern Conference are a copy of the Rules we
are already familiar with, but contain some minor changes. A new clause has been
added: “Party congresses, which must be convened as far as possible oncea year, are the supreme organ of the Party.” We heartily welcome this
amendment. In connection with the new and excellent point that the
“Central Committee shall be elected at the Congress”, and also with
the excellent desire to have the question of the Editorial Board decided at the
Congress (be it even in the future), this amendment shows progress towards the
decisions of the Third Congress. Let us hope that in another four months the
next “constituent” conference will also set up the procedure for
convening congresses, these supreme organs of the Party.... On the question of
unity the Conference unfortunately beats about the bush, without giving a clear
reply to the question: “Do you want to unite on the basis of the Third
Congress? If not, do you want to prepare two congresses to assemble at the same
time and in the same place?” Let us hope that the next
“constituent” conference (preferably in something under four
months!) will decide the matter.

[1]The Southern Russian Constituent Conference of the
Menshevikswas held in Kiev in August 1905. Its decisions were criticised
by Lenin also in the article “The Latest inIskraTactics, or
Mock Elections as a New Incentive to an Uprising” (see pp. 356-73 of
 this volume).